| **Commitments And Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)In Millions, unless otherwise specified**                                              | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                     | 3 Months Ended                    |                                   |                                                                                                                                                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Operating Leases, Rent Expense                                                                                                                      | $ 51us-gaap_LeaseAndRentalExpense                                                                                                                                   | $ 36us-gaap_LeaseAndRentalExpense | $ 44us-gaap_LeaseAndRentalExpense |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Number of open governmental investigations                                                                                                          | 3stj_Numberofopengovernmentalinvestigations                                                                                                                         |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| March 2010 Securities Class Action [Member]                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Litigation Settlement, Expense                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              | 50us-gaap_LitigationSettlementExpense/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis= stj_March2010SecuritiesClassActionMember                                                         |   |   |   |
| Minimum damage loss claimed                                                                                                                         | 475us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis= stj_March2010SecuritiesClassActionMember                                                  |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Estimated Insurance Recoveries                                                                                                                      | 30us-gaap_EstimatedInsuranceRecoveries/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis= stj_March2010SecuritiesClassActionMember                                                        |                              |                              | 30us-gaap_EstimatedInsuranceRecoveries/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis= stj_March2010SecuritiesClassActionMember                                                        |   |   |   |
| December 2012 Securities Litigation [Member]                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Number of cases consolidated                                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                | 2stj_Numberofcasesconsolidated/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis= stj_December2012SecuritiesLitigationMember |   |   |
| Riata Litigation [Member]                                                                                                                           |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Litigation Settlement, Expense                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              | $ 15us-gaap_LitigationSettlementExpense/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember                                                                    |   |   |   |
| Loss Contingency, Claims Settled, Number                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              | 950us-gaap_LossContingencyClaimsSettledNumber/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember                                                              |   |   |   |
| Number of multi-plaintiff lawsuits outstanding, excluding class action lawsuits                                                                     | 8stj_Numberofresolvedmultiplaintifflawsuitsexcludingclassactionlawsuits/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember                                    |                              |                              | 8stj_Numberofresolvedmultiplaintifflawsuitsexcludingclassactionlawsuits/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember                                    |   |   |   |
| Riata Litigation [Member] | State and Federal Courts of California [Member]                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Number of claimants in lawsuit                                                                                                                      | 173stj_NumberOfClaimantsInLawsuit/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis= stj_StateandFederalCourtsofCaliforniaMember/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember |                              |                              | 173stj_NumberOfClaimantsInLawsuit/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis= stj_StateandFederalCourtsofCaliforniaMember/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember |   |   |   |
| Riata Litigation [Member] | Minimum [Member]                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Number of lawsuits outstanding                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   | 70stj_Numberoflawsuitsoutstanding/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember/ us-gaap_RangeAxis= us-gaap_MinimumMember |   |
| Riata Litigation [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Number of lawsuits outstanding                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   | 3stj_Numberoflawsuitsoutstanding/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
| Riata Litigation [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Federal Court [Member] | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois [Member] |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Number of lawsuits outstanding                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   | 1stj_Numberoflawsuitsoutstanding/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis= stj_U.S.DistrictCourtfortheNorthernDistrictofIllinoisMember/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember/ stj_TypeOfCourtLitigationAxis= stj_FederalCourtMember |
| Riata Litigation [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | State Court [Member]                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Number of lawsuits outstanding                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   | 2stj_Numberoflawsuitsoutstanding/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember/ stj_TypeOfCourtLitigationAxis= stj_StateCourtMember |
| Riata Litigation [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | State Court [Member] | Illinois [Member]                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Number of lawsuits outstanding                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   | 1stj_Numberoflawsuitsoutstanding/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis= stj_IllinoisMember/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember/ stj_TypeOfCourtLitigationAxis= stj_StateCourtMember |
| Riata Litigation [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | State Court [Member] | SOUTH CAROLINA                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |
| Number of lawsuits outstanding                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                |                              |                              |                                                                                                                                                                |   |   | 1stj_Numberoflawsuitsoutstanding/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis= stpr_SC/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis= stj_RiataLitigationMember/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember/ stj_TypeOfCourtLitigationAxis= stj_StateCourtMember |

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Number of cases consolidated
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
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Number of claimants in lawsuit
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Number of lawsuits outstanding
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Number of open governmental investigations
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| - Definition
Number of resolved multi-plaintiff lawsuits, excluding class action lawsuits
+ References
No definition available.
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| - Definition
Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of amounts expected to be recovered under the terms of insurance contracts.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 17 -Article 5
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| - Definition
Amount of rent expense incurred for leased assets, including but not limited to, furniture and equipment, that is not directly or indirectly associated with the manufacture, sale or creation of a product or product line.
+ References
No definition available.
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| - Definition
Amount of litigation expense, including but not limited to legal, forensic, accounting, and investigative fees.
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
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| - Definition
Number of claims settled.
+ References
No definition available.
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| - Definition
The value (monetary amount) of the award the plaintiff seeks in the legal matter.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                           |
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| X                                                                                                                                              |
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